US to collect genetic data to hone careThe New York TimesSaying that “the possibilities are boundless,” President Barack Obama announced a major biomedical research initiative, including plans to collect genetic data on one million Americans so scientists could develop drugs and treatments tailored to the characteristics of individual patients. Dr. Francis S. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, said the studies would help doctors decide which treatments would work best for which patients.

Supercomputing reveals the genetic code of cancerMedical XpressCancer researchers must use one of the world's fastest computers to detect which versions of genes are only found in cancer cells. Every form of cancer, even every tumor, has its own distinct variants. "This charting may help tailor the treatment to each patient," says Associate Professor Rolf Skotheim, who is affiliated with the Centre for Cancer Biomedicine and the Research Group for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Oslo, as well as the Department of Molecular Oncology at Radiumhospitalet, Oslo University Hospital.

23andMe: Your genes may be to blame for your motion sicknessSFGateIf you're prone to nausea while riding a car or a roller coaster, your genetics may be responsible, according to a new study from 23andMe.
In research published this month, the Mountain View personal genetics testing startup conducted what it said was the first genome-wide association study on motion sickness in almost 80,500 people in its database.

How big data opens new vistas in personalized medicinePhys.org"Innovations, Information, and Imaging" is the theme of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS 2015), which takes place in San Jose Feb. 12-16. Along with international research partners, the Technische Universitat Munchen has organized a symposium on proteomics, a research field that will open the stage for a more personalized approach in biomedical research and therapy.

Measure, Monitor Immunoglobulin Treatment OutcomesBioFeedback for immunoglobulin is a health outcomes reporting program that provides clinical feedback on the use of immunoglobulin in autoimmune-related disorders. Physicians and medical directors can now deploy clinical interventions when they have the greatest impact on healthcare quality and costs.

New initiative aims at reducing adverse effects of medications in individuals with mental illnessesNews-Medical.netGeneticists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health will provide their scientific expertise to a new initiative aimed at preventing and reducing the adverse effects of medications in people with mental illnesses.
The research project will take a personalized medicine approach to managing drug therapy by analyzing each patient's genetic makeup to determine potential adverse reactions to medications.

Researchers question treatment of infertility with stem cellsMedical XpressNew studies by Swedish researchers at institutions including the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institute are questioning the notion that infertility can be treated with stem cells. Whether or not infertility can be treated with stem cells has been a matter of debate for many years. The classical theory is based on the idea that the eggs a woman has are the ones she has had from birth, but there are researchers who claim that stem cell research could lead to the creation of new eggs.

Gordie Howe making dramatic recovery after stem cell therapyUSA TodayDetroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe has made such a dramatic recovery after having stem cell therapy in December in Tijuana, Mexico, that he's heading to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, this weekend for a dementia fundraiser involving Wayne Gretzky.
The Kinsmen Arena there will be renamed the Gordie Howe Kinsman Arena.

Fitness wearables: To track or not to trackBy Natalie Rodriguez The fitness wearables market has taken off in the past few years, and fitness tech products were all the rage at CES 2015. The wearable technology market will continue to grow, but are consumers jumping on the bandwagon? Over the years, activity trackers have evolved from simple heart rate monitors and pedometers to now tracking mileage, physical activity, calorie intake, heart rate, sleep quality, body temperature, stress level and more. This begs the question: Are fitness wearables a must-have?

FDA approves an ADHD drug as the first treatment for binge-eating disorderThe Associated Press via Fox BusinessFederal health regulators have approved an attention deficit disorder drug for a new use: A first-of-its kind treatment for binge-eating disorder.
The Food and Drug Administration first approved Vyvanse as a once-a-day pill for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 2007. On Friday the agency cleared the drug for adults who compulsively overeat.

Bluebird gene therapy wins FDA's 'breakthrough' designationThe Boston GlobeCambridge startup Bluebird Bio Inc., which is working in the field of gene therapy, said Monday that its experimental treatment for a rare blood disorder has won a “breakthrough therapy” designation from the Food and Drug Administration.
The designation was created by the FDA to speed up the development and regulatory review of drug candidates that treat serious or life-threatening diseases when early clinical studies show substantial improvement over existing medicines.

Recommendations for physician-led ACOsGovernment Health ITIf you’re a primary care physician, are you a doctor or a CEO?
According to a new article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that question isn’t as off-base as it initially may seem. Penned by, among others, former ONC chief Farzad Mostashari, M.D., the piece suggests readers “consider that a typical primary care physician has approximately 2000 patients, each of whom annually accounts for about $5000 for healthcare spending.

Survey: Patient engagement continues to face challengesBy Scott E. Rupp In the true age of patient engagement — a topic much talked about the last two years, but one now seemingly having gained real traction — providers continue to admit that they are having trouble with meeting the mandates established for them by meaningful use stage 2 requirements. The challenges they face with engaging patients, of course, means they also run the risk of pushing away patients if they fail to meet consumers on their terms. This is a fairly standard industry sentiment and one of the primary takeaways from a recent nationwide survey.

Ebola, measles and Chris Christie's inconsistent healthcare beliefsForbesNew Jersey Governor and likely presidential candidate Chris Christie is responsible for the current measles outbreak in the United States. Well that is a bit of a stretch — but not by much. The governor just can’t figure out where he stands in balancing the public good against individual rights.
When Ebola reached his state last October in the form of Kaci Hickox, a nurse who had treated Ebola patients in West Africa, Christie ordered her held in a plastic tent near Newark with no running water, reliable heat or any other amenities.

12 simple ways to save money on healthcareU.S. News & World ReportIn the last few years, consumers have found themselves paying a higher percentage of their medical costs. The Affordable Care Act has given more Americans access to health insurance, but many of those plans come with high deductibles — which are also becoming more common in employer-provided plans.

FAST FACTS"From Jan. 1-30, 2015, 102 people from 14 states were reported to have measles. Most of these cases are part of a large, ongoing multi-state outbreak linked to an amusement park in California."

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